Why? If someone is doing things for the sole purpose of being different and expressing their individuality and unique snowflake-ness, they deserve to be mocked.
Edit: Or were you being sarcastic? I'm used to Internet People saying silly things, but "failure to conform must be punished" is such a bizarre opinion to see on Hacker News of all places that I'm not sure.
It's not failure to conform. It's refusal to conform solely for the sake of being perceived as unique or different. Being a hipster is a way of saying, "I'm cooler than everyone." That's why it deserves to be mocked.
Why? If someone is doing things for the sole purpose of being different and expressing their individuality and unique snowflake-ness, they deserve to be mocked.